Drew McBrayer isn’t taking the ball from St. Aloysius, but he is going home.

The reigning Vicksburg Post Boys Basketball Coach of the Year, who has coached boys and girls basketball at St. Al the last two seasons, is stepping down from that job to become an assistant coach for New Hope’s boys basketball team.

The New Hope native said he was making the move for family reasons. He and his wife Holly – who was his assistant coach and counselor at St. Al and also is from New Hope – have a young child, and going back home will allow them to be closer to family.

&#8220We’re going back to where both of our families are,” Drew McBrayer said, adding that financial considerations also played a part in the decision. &#8220It also had to do with state retirement, getting back into the public school system and things like that.”

St. Aloysius competes in the Mississippi High School Activities Association, but is a private school. Its teachers and coaches do not get credit toward state retirement benefits while they are employed there.

McBrayer leaves a program that he turned into a winner in only two seasons.

St. Al’s girls went 26-4 last season, one of the most successful in school history. The Lady Flashes went 26-1 in the regular season and won the regular-season Division 7-1A title before stumbling down the stretch and losing their final three games.

The boys’ team, meanwhile, went 28-31 under McBrayer’s tutelage and made a 14-win turnaround in his two seasons. The Flashes were 21-9 last season and lost to Thomastown on a last-second, overtime tip-in in the Class 1A satellite game.

The Flashes lost only one senior from last season’s group, which won the regular-season Division 7-1A championship.

McBrayer said he enjoyed his time at St. Al.

&#8220It was wonderful. As far as experience, and being right out of college and having the opportunity to be a head coach, you can’t ask for much more than that,” he said. &#8220It was a very tough decision because of the kind of kids we’ve been around the last two years. When they get after it like they do, and do everything you ask, it’s tough to leave.”

While McBrayer is leaving one successful program, he’s heading to another. New Hope advanced to the Class 4A semifinals last season before losing to Lanier 65-45. McBrayer will be an assistant coach for the varsity boys team as well as head coach of the junior high program.

&#8220(New Hope) is turning the corner. They got beat by Lanier in Jackson and only lost one senior,” McBrayer said.